# Routing nested resources **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [December 21, 2007, 3:13am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/routing-nested-resources/123833 "2007-12-21T03:13:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tekhne](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/90ced4/32.png) [@tekhne](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tekhne)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 3:13am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/routing-nested-resources/123833/1 "2007-12-21T03:13:21Z")
I’ve noticed that nested resources are also available via the default route: In my application I have many gamers and want to give them a singleton profile resource ([example.com/gamers/3/profile](http://example.com/gamers/3/profile)). So my config.routes includes: map.resources :gamers, :has\_one =\> [:profile] Even though it’s a singleton, my controller has be pluralized: called ProfilesController and live at app/controllers/profiles\_controller.rb with views in app/views/profiles. The problem I see is that the default route also means that the profiles controller can be accessed at [example.com/profiles](http://example.com/profiles). Should I write a before\_filter to raise 404 if it can’t find params[:gamer\_id]? It seems the natural place to do this would be config/routes, but the only way to do that would be to remove the default route and explicitly list all of my other controllers. Is there a nicer way to do this that I’m missing? ---
**Author:** ![tekhne](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/90ced4/32.png) [@tekhne](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tekhne)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 3:20am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/routing-nested-resources/123833/2 "2007-12-21T03:20:57Z")
A question I’m tempted to ask is: why do you need to separate a gamer and their profile? Why not just store the profile information on a gamer? – Ryan B. > **[frozenplague.net](http://www.frozenplague.net)** > > This domain may be for sale! ---
**Author:** ![tekhne](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/90ced4/32.png) [@tekhne](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tekhne)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 3:28am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/routing-nested-resources/123833/3 "2007-12-21T03:28:34Z")
On Dec 20, 9:20 pm, “Ryan B.” [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > A question I’m tempted to ask is: why do you need to separate a gamer and > their profile? Why not just store the profile information on a gamer? I’m going to be adding several sub-controllers to my gamers controller; I just gave this as the simplest example. You’re right that it makes sense to store profiles on the gamer objects. Anyone have a solution for the routing, though? ---
**Author:** ![tekhne](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/90ced4/32.png) [@tekhne](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tekhne)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 4:33am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/routing-nested-resources/123833/4 "2007-12-21T04:33:29Z")
On Dec 20, 9:40 pm, “Ryan B.” [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Defining a before\_filter seems like the least painful way to go about it. Hm, it doesn’t seem to be testable. I wrote: def nested puts request.url raise ActionController::RoutingError, ‘not nested’ unless params[:gamer\_id] end And that works fine. But when I try to test an action: def test\_edit alice = gamers(:alice) # and any of the following: get :show, :gamer =\> alice get :show, :gamer =\> alice.to\_param get :show, :gamer\_id =\> alice get :show, :gamer\_id =\> alice.to\_param end I just get the RoutingError… it says I’m requesting the url [http://test.host/profiles/edit/alice](http://test.host/profiles/edit/alice) instead of the correct url of [http://test.host/gamers/alice/profile/edit](http://test.host/gamers/alice/profile/edit). How do I tell the functional test to use the more-specific (and earlier in config.routes!) route instead of the default route? ---
**Author:** ![tekhne](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/90ced4/32.png) [@tekhne](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tekhne)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 3:41am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/routing-nested-resources/123833/5 "2007-12-21T03:41:29Z")
Defining a before\_filter seems like the least painful way to go about it. On Dec 21, 2007 12:58 PM, Peter H. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Anyone have a solution for the routing, though? > > > – Ryan B. > **[frozenplague.net](http://www.frozenplague.net)** > > This domain may be for sale! ---
**Author:** ![tekhne](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/90ced4/32.png) [@tekhne](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tekhne)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 5:08am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/routing-nested-resources/123833/6 "2007-12-21T05:08:34Z")
I’d rather serve a 404 than 301 in this case. ---
**Author:** ![tekhne](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/90ced4/32.png) [@tekhne](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tekhne)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 5:17am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/routing-nested-resources/123833/7 "2007-12-21T05:17:55Z")
raise the RoutingError and then say in your tests that the show page should raise error. I’ve only ever done RSpec testing so I’m not much help on the baked-in Rails testing front. On Dec 21, 2007 2:37 PM, Peter H. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > I’d rather serve a 404 than 301 in this case. > > > – Ryan B. > **[frozenplague.net](http://www.frozenplague.net)** > > This domain may be for sale! ---
**Author:** ![tekhne](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/90ced4/32.png) [@tekhne](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tekhne)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 4:35am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/routing-nested-resources/123833/8 "2007-12-21T04:35:15Z")
What’s wrong with doing it a little simpler? private def check\_for\_gamer\_id redirect\_back\_or\_default(default\_controllers\_path) if params[:gamer\_id].nil? end – Ryan B. > **[frozenplague.net](http://www.frozenplague.net)** > > This domain may be for sale!